/ Published in Athlete Knee Care, Full Knee, Knee Cartilage, Knee Injuries
How Many Years Will a Total Knee Replacement Last

How Many Years Will a Total Knee Replacement Last?

Choosing to have a total knee replacement is a big decision. If you and your doctor are discussing whether knee replacement surgery is the right choice for you, you’ll likely have numerous questions about the procedure. One of the most common questions patients have is: how long can I expect my knee replacement to last?

Studies conducted on patients who received complete knee replacements have found that 85-90% of knee implants will last for 15 to 20 years or longer. This means that whether you may need a second knee replacement surgery will often depend on your age when the first replacement is performed. 

For patients with knee replacement surgery relatively late in life, needing a second replacement procedure is usually not an issue. As you age, you naturally put less stress on the knee joint: you are less likely to engage in vigorous athletic or physical activities and less likely to put your knees through a lot of weight-bearing exercises. Your knee joint will not experience a lot of wear and tear.

If you are young when you get a knee replacement – perhaps as the result of a sports injury – you may have to resign yourself to needing another knee replacement surgery some time in the future, particularly if you plan to carry on with playing sports. 

The more problematic case is the patients in the middle: people who need a knee replacement when they are just past middle age and have a life expectancy much longer than an additional two decades. 

However, it should be remembered that the studies showing that prosthetic knee joints last 20 years are necessarily based on implant devices that were available at least 20 years ago. Since prosthetic knees are constantly being improved, today’s prosthetic knees may last longer.

If you are worried about the longevity of your knee replacement, there are some precautions you can take to increase the longevity of your joint replacement and decrease the likelihood of requiring a second replacement procedure.

Maximizing the Lifespan of Your Knee Implant

Minimize High-Impact Activities

The same activities that damage your body’s natural joints will also cause artificial ones to wear out more rapidly; for example, exercises such as running and jumping increase the amount of force applied to the joint. Over time, this strain will damage the implant.

However, even though high-impact activities should be avoided, staying active is still essential for health and mobility. Low-impact exercises like cycling, stationary weightlifting, yoga, swimming, and walking are all excellent ways for patients to preserve their strength and range of motion without sacrificing joint health.

Identify Underlying or Pre-Existing Conditions

Patients who suffer from conditions such as osteoporosis or osteoarthritis are more likely to experience failed knee replacement surgeries. These conditions cause the weakening of the joints and bones, which means that fractures more easily occur. Fractures can negatively affect joint replacement. In addition, medical conditions that cause increased susceptibility to infections can cause complications post-surgery that may require a second surgery to correct.

Finally, patients with conditions that limit blood circulation in the lower body can experience longer recovery times and potential complications since the decreased circulation negatively impacts the body’s ability to heal. However, if conditions are identified before surgery, you and your care provider can create a treatment plan to mitigate that risk.

Maintain a Healthy Weight

In the same way that high-impact activities cause increased wear on joints, carrying extra weight also causes implants to deteriorate faster, simply because the knee joints have to bear much of your body weight. Patients do not need to maintain an excessively low weight; any weight loss that lessens the load on the knees can positively impact joint health.

Your orthopedic surgeon can advise you on whether your weight could decrease the lifespan of your implant. If your doctor believes weight loss would benefit your prognosis, several resources are available that can help you control your weight.

Limit Lateral Movements

It is challenging to avoid lateral movements altogether, but they can put unneeded stress on your implant. Your physical therapist will work with you in controlling lateral movement and strengthening your muscles to support the joint. But the strain associated with quick lateral moves can cause damage to the implant and the existing soft tissues in the knee. Therefore, sports requiring significant lateral movements should be minimized unless your doctor advises otherwise.

As medical advancements continue to evolve and develop, patients can expect to see the lifespan of prosthetic replacement joints, including knee joints, increase. To find out more about complete knee replacement surgery and whether it could solve your knee pain and mobility issues, contact Tchejeyan Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine today.

Tagged under: , , , , , , , ,

What you can read next

Arthritis is not technically a disease, but a condition defined by inflammation of the joints. It can affect one joint or many joints, and it can cause pain, stiffness, swelling, and weakness in the joints. It afflicts more than 50 million adults and over 300,000 children in the United States. Medical specialists break down arthritis into more than 100 different types, some of which go by another name. The most common type is osteoarthritis, but rheumatoid arthritis, gout, fibromyalgia and lupus are all classified as arthritic conditions. When you take it as a whole, arthritis, then, can strike at any age. However, the most common type, osteoarthritis, is the one that most people think of when they think of arthritis, and the type of arthritis people mean when talking about the knees. Osteoarthritis usually develops after the age of 50, but it can occur at any age. Since it is caused, essentially, by “wear and tear” on the knee joint, people who do a lot of weight-bearing activities can develop it early on in life. For example, a warehouse worker who has to carry heavy boxes around on a concrete floor every day and puts a lot of repetitive stress on his knees may develop arthritis while in his 30’s. The fact is, most people have some level of arthritis once they reach their 60’s, simply because the cartilage in the knee wears down after so many years of use and of bearing most of the body’s weight. Some people have a genetic predisposition to get arthritis, and those who are very physically active and those who already have bone anomalies are also more at risk. More men than women get arthritis before the age of 50, but after 50, more women than men will get arthritis. This is often because women gain wait after menopause, and this extra weight can put extra stress on the joints after half a lifetime of wear and tear. When to See a Specialist While pain and stiffness are the most common symptoms of arthritis, there are several other indicators. “Crepitus” is the word that is given to the creaking, grinding, snapping, or clicking noise that happens when patients move their joints, and it is a common symptom of arthritis. In addition, a person may have difficulty walking, the knees can buckle, skin can swell or feel warm or look red. If you have any of these symptoms and they do not abate after a few weeks of rest and taking over-the-counter anti-inflammatory or pain reliever medications, you should see an orthopedic specialist. Initially, your doctor will examine your knees to see if the symptoms you are experiencing are consistent with arthritis, or may be indicative of other knee problems. Your doctor will perform diagnostic tests, and may order images of your knee. If you are diagnosed with arthritis, the next step will be to determine what the appropriate treatment should be. How to Treat Arthritis in the Knees Nowadays, most joint diseases can be treated without any surgery or with minimally invasive surgical procedures. If your arthritis is not very advanced, your doctor might recommend that you take some basic steps that can relieve your condition, such as losing weight, selecting lower-impact exercises like walking, wearing special inserts in your shoes, wearing a knee brace, and getting some physical therapy. In many cases, these simple steps can do a great deal to relieve pain and weakness in the knees, and will provide more broad health benefits, as well. If the arthritis has progressed to the point that there is significant loss of bone and loss of cartilage, surgery is likely to be necessary. When possible, Dr. Tchejeyan at Tchejeyan Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine utilizes arthroscopy, a minimally invasive surgical method which usually does not involve the use of general anesthesia and is performed as an outpatient procedure. Take Care of Your Knees and Take Care of Your Health Even if you are young, you can get arthritis, so do not ignore chronic knee pain, thinking that it will “just go away” or that you are too young to have this condition. Arthritis in the knees can become so debilitating that it can prevent you from being able to carry out even normal, everyday activities. What is more, when you cut back on activities like walking, not only can the arthritis get worse, but your overall health will suffer and your enjoyment of life can be greatly reduced. If you have knee pain and suspect it may be arthritis, you need to get it diagnosed and treated so that you can get back on track with your life, regain your vigor, and improve your health. Contact us today at TJN Ortho to schedule a consultation appointment.
At What Age Does Knee Arthritis Usually Start
May Case Of the Month
MAY CASE OF THE MONTH
How Is Patellar Tendonitis Diagnosed